No More Worries
by AnimeAddikt93
Summary: Orihime and Tatsuki both have feelings for Ichigo.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: My first Bleach fanfic. I've been a fan for so many years now it's almost criminal. **

_Tatsuki_

Orihime held her pillow close, while sitting on the floor. It'd been awhile since we got to have a sleep over like this. Summer was finally here. After everything she'd been through she was back. And so was Ichigo...It's not like I'd ever be able to forget about him, but the fog was cleared from my mind once he was back and safe. I had no more worries finally.

Orihime had invited me over a couple days ago with promises of ice cream and girl talks. Neither of these two things were things I particularly liked but I knew Orihime enjoyed spending time with me. A lot of girls at school were jealous of her despite her innocence. Others just judged her by her appearance instead of her heart. That being said she didn't have many friends that were girls.

"So Tatsuki, is there anyone that you like?" The question caught me off guard.

"Well...I've always kind of...liked Ichigo." Orihime smiled.

"We really are best friends huh? We even like the same guy." My stomach dropped. That wasn't something she should be happy about.

"You like Ichigo? Since when?" She shrugged.

"I don't know. I've never disliked him. I was just afraid to get close to him. One day I just decided to talk to him in gym. We had a couple things in common and I realized he wasn't a bad guy. And then all this hollow business started so it was just another way for me to get closer to him. I'm not sure how he feels. He might like Rukia." I'd never thought of having so much competition for one guy. Thinking about it there weren't that many guys like Ichigo around.

"Since when have you liked him Tatsuki? You've always been around Ichigo." I've always liked Ichigo. Even when he was a cry baby. Even those times he was depressed after his mother died.

"A long time I guess." Orihime hugged her pillow closer.

"Longer than me? Well...I still wouldn't be able to hand him over that easily." It was rare to see Orihime that serious. It was almost scary. "Good luck." She smiled and dug into her ice cream like nothing between us changed. Maybe it didn't for her, but I couldn't just return to normal after hearing this.

_Ichigo_

I would be going away for awhile. It'd be dangerous. I'd already agreed with Uryuu that no one but us would go. Things concerning Chad and Inoue became dangerous. There was only so much they could survive through. With all of us just arriving home I didn't need to rip them out of their lives again. Uryuu agreed to come because going alone would honestly just make things take longer. We'd knock out some annoying hollows and come back. It'd be a little dangerous with just us too, but then everyone would be safer with Chad here to protect them. He was reluctant at first, but then finally agreed.

_Orihime_

Chad told me earlier today Ichigo would be going away for awhile and it might be dangerous. I couldn't stop thinking about it all day. And although it was a dirty thing to do, I had to talk to him before Tatsuki. I had the upper hand because I knew about things first. Maybe I'd tell him how I felt in case he got hurt, not that I wouldn't go to help him if it was necessary.

During lunch I followed Ichigo out to the courtyard. "Kurosaki-kun..." He turned and smiled.

"Hey Inoue." I looked down at the ground.

"Um...Sado told me that you'd be going away for awhile." He nodded.

"I need you guys here to take care of things. Besides you only just got home after that whole mess in Hueco Mundo. It wouldn't be right to make you go somewhere like that again." He was sweet...

"I'm fine helping out around here although I wouldn't mind helping you out if you needed me." I folded my hands behind my back. "I just want to talk to you before you left."

"Come eat lunch with me then." I followed Ichigo to the large tree in the courtyard. I sat next to him underneath of it. It really felt like a date doing things like this. I could hear people talking around us. _Are they going out? They look good together._ I shook my head and tried to focus on telling Ichigo what I need to tell him.

"Things might be a little dangerous this time right?" He nodded.

"Only because it won't be all of us, but I'll have Uryuu." Thank god. Chad didn't mention that. Maybe Ichigo didn't want to tell him he was bringing another friend besides Chad. Not that Chad would mind...at least I don't think he would. "What did you want to say?"

"I just wanted to wish you luck. And don't get hurt Kurosaki-kun. We all care about you a lot. I care about you a lot..." He looked a little shocked but he just smiled. He stood up after he was done his lunch. "Can I walk you to class Inoue?" I nodded.

We were almost to the school building when I couldn't hold it in anymore. "I love you Kurosaki-kun." He touched my shoulder and turned and walked to his class. I didn't know what it meant. I felt like I was going to cry for some reason.

_Tatsuki_

I hid behind the wall like a coward. I watched Orihime confess her feelings. I couldn't tell what Ichigo was thinking, but I could tell Inoue was upset. I didn't hear him say anything to her though. I didn't think Orihime would ever do something like this. She'd always given me anything I wanted if I saw it first. She'd always take something even if she didn't like it as much. I guess things were different with Ichigo. She liked him more than she valued are relationship. Her wishing me luck against her was the biggest slap in the face I'd ever gotten. Because at the end of the day I honestly didn't think I could win against her.


	2. Chapter 2

_Inoue _

It'd been almost a month since I confessed to Ichigo. He'd went and left without ever saying anything back to me. I'd cried the first few days, but then I realized I needed to be strong. His family was here, and he'd asked me to protect them. In the following month I'd spent a lot of time with Yuzu, Karin, and Ishiin and I liked them a lot. There were some nights I'd even stay with Yuzu. During all this time, I hadn't seen Tatsuki much. Though she said she wanted to talk sometime this week.

I flopped back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. I didn't want our friendship to end over a boy. We'd never even talked about something like that happening because we never thought it would. And here we were. I was sad because I was ready to risk everything to get Ichigo. He could be hurt at any moment. Tatsuki couldn't protect him, I could.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard a knock at the door. If it was Tatsuki she would've came in. I stood and peeked out the window. It was Ichigo. I opened the door slowly. "Kurosaki-kun?" He stood there with a bag from the convenience store and a forced smile on his face. I stepped aside to let him in.

"I'm sorry about before Inoue." He scratched his head and looked around. "I didn't want to answer you in case I didn't end up coming back...because then you'd be sad."

"Why would I be sad?" He seemed hesitant at first, but he leaned in and kissed me. That meant...he liked me back. At least I thought it did.

"I also would like to go out with you." I was smiling, but inside part of me was crying for Tatsuki.

_Tatsuki_

I'd rented one of Orihime's favorite movies. I'd been avoiding her and she knew it. I'd seen her going to Ichigo's house and getting close to his family. I couldn't just show up like that. She was steps ahead of me already. The only thing I had to cling to was that he hadn't answered her. I'd seen how torn up Orihime had been, one day it just changed. That was the day she began visiting his family, I'd seen it on my run.

I felt betrayed, but I still wanted to be her friend. I knocked on the door.

_Ichigo_

The bag of ice cream sat untouched on the table. I hadn't meant for this to get like this, but I had Orihime pinned to the wall before I knew it. I'd only meant to kiss her once. Not so many times I'd lose count. She was staring up at me now, waiting. I didn't even know what I wanted to do. This wasn't how people normal started relationships. My debating stopped when I heard the door. The handle was already being jiggled. I pushed Orihime so she was sitting on the couch, then walked a bit toward the door so it would look like I was leaving.

I extended my hand for the knob just when Tatsuki opened the door. She looked shocked at first. "Ichigo?"

"Hey Tatsuki. I was just bringing Inoue some ice cream. She took good care of Yuzu and Karin while I was gone." Something like relief seemed to pass over her. "I'll see you at school." I was lucky that happened when it did.


	3. Chapter 3

Ichigo

I looked up at the ceiling. My fingers stayed on my lips like a little kid with a crush he'd finally kissed. What was I going to do about all of this? Getting a girlfriend was something I shouldn't be doing when my life was so much more dangerous than everyone else's. And if Inoue got hurt I wouldn't forgive myself. My family was already in love with her though...all I heard from Yuzu was how sweet and nice she was. I groaned and rolled over on my side. Why did things have to be so complicated.

But Inoue liked me...she loved me. She could have anyone she wanted but she wanted me and that was something I could be happy about. Something about the situation seemed weird to me though. I closed my eyes. I deserved some needed rest.

Orihime

"So what did Ichigo want?" Tatsuki plopped down on the floor next to me after popping in a movie.

"Oh...um...he just thanked me for taking care of his sisters. He asked me to while he was gone for a bit." I looked out the window. Somehow I felt I needed to lie about Ichigo and I until it went public and everyone knew. I felt bad for Tatsuki, but she'd known Ichigo so much longer. She could've told him at any point. I'd barely got up the courage to do it myself. Lately he was looking so much different from when I first met him. He became beautiful in that dangerous way girls like. I wasn't the only who noticed. Everyone in our class did. It became easier to talk about him when everyone else was, and I was finally able to talk about my feelings to someone even though Chizuru was a bit disappointed that I wouldn't be hers forever and ever.

Tatsuki looked like she didn't believe a word I said, but she didn't say anything. After the moment of awkwardness, we were back to our usual selves, laughing about the same things we always laughed about, play fighting, and not talking about boys. Somehow that made me feel even more guilty.

Tatsuki

The glow Orihime had, was not from someone who had just got a "thank you for taking care of my sisters" and yet I couldn't place much off about her. She was just in an exceptionally good mood. And that could be because I ditched her for almost a month and she missed me...but I didn't think so.


End file.
